May 23, 1863, The Charleston Mercury
We were of those who opposed the breaking up of the South Carolina College, and the encouragement given to boys abandoning education and going into the field. But the boys were encouraged and permitted to leave College and go into the army, the College exercises were discontinued, and the buildings were loaned to the Government to be used for Hospital purposes. Being most admirably adapted to that end, they have been of great benefit, accommodating a very large number of the sick and wounded soldiers of the country. And the Legislature, after a mature consideration of the subject, agreed, by an almost unanimous vote, to advise the Trustees, under all the circumstances, permit the buildings to remain for the present in the occupation of the Confederate authorities, for the purpose of a Military Hospital, and that in the meantime the exercises of the College be suspended.’
We learn that the Trustees have recently made application for the buildings in order to open the College and resume its exercises. For ourselves, we can see no satisfactory reason for this change of policy or a renewal of an experiment which failed last year. The same reasons which held good in December, hold good now. The College was broken up and converted into a hospital. Let it then be a hospital for the war. The buildings are now employed to the important end of restoring our soldiers. We hope matters will remain as they are. Let youths of 18 go into the Confederate army; youths of 10 into the State Militia as the law required. Education after the war. This has already been determined.